Grad school team wins $10,000 in ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ competition

A team of Loyola Marymount University graduate students traveled to Cincinnati to compete in the Spirit of Enterprise New Business Venture Idea Competition in late February and returned home the first place winners with a prize check for $10,000.

The students are part of the New Product Design and Development class at LMU, which is jointly taught by the Science and Engineering School and the College of Business Administration MBA Program.

The students developed a product called the Asthma Sound Indicator, which measures several breathing indicators from asthma patients to help determine their current condition and need for medication and medical assistance.

The student team plans to go forward with the business venture, according to project leader Dwight Yorke, and are currently developing advanced prototypes for testing and certification.

“The class is a new and innovative blending of the business program and the engineering program at LMU, allowing the students to take their new product ideas well beyond the classroom, and make them a part of the reality of the marketplace,” said Darota Shortell and Fred Kiesner, the LMU faculty members jointly teaching the class.

As a result of their victory in the Cincinnati competition, the students have been invited to compete in a Global New Business Venture competition in May, where they will compete against student new business ideas from around the world.